Fragments of a Turnabout
by Luna-Bell07
Summary: Ace Attorney/Professor Layton crossover. A new year begins, but Apollo's and Edgeworth's hearts are still broken from their greatest trials. A mysterious circus is on its way into town, promising to grant any wish. A Storyteller is writing the greatest tale of all-with Apollo and Edgeworth at the center! WrightWorth.
1. Chapter 1

_January 5th. 8:22 am. Phoenix Wright's bedroom._

* * *

><p>My name's Phoenix Wright. I'm an Attorney at Law, and Failure Extraordinaire.<p>

I know, I know. Not the most cheerful way to start off a new year. You're probably shaking your head at me, Chief. 'Hold your head high, Phoenix,' you used to tell me. 'You can only get through your trials with a high head and a strong spirit!'

If only you were still here.

My New Year's Eve entry was a little more cheerful (thanks to my little baby girl and big sis Athena), but now I've gone back to being the world's biggest Debbie Downer. Even though my two girls are always at their brightest, my forecast is always filled with nothing but clouds. It's as if things only get worse the more time passes.

What am I talking about? I can boil it down to two names: Apollo and Miles.

It's been a while since both of them were pushed through the grinder. But what they say isn't always true; time doesn't always heal all wounds. In their cases, it only serves to deepen their wounds. And there's more than enough evidence to prove it. Far too much evidence for my taste. They keep on saying they're fine, Apollo expressing that sentiment much more than my lifelong crush Miles, but neither of them have the evidence to support their claims. No matter how hard we reach out for him, we can never grab onto Apollo and bring him back home. He smiles but there's never any life behind those smiles of his. The girls and I are lucky to get more than two words out of him at a time. And here's something else about Polly, journal.

He hasn't been to the GYAXA Space Center. Hasn't even mentioned it. He never even mentions Mr. Terran. It's as if the star he's searching for only exists in his dreams. Would make sense, considering the type of person Mr. Terran was. I would actually prefer it if Polly's friend had only been a dream. But life has a penchant for throwing a thousand curveballs at me. I've got a son with a broken heart and two girls working their hardest to cheer him up.

Is there something I can do to get Lady Luck on my side? There's got to be something I'm not doing right.

Apollo's a thousand-no, a million miles away. Come to think of it, I don't even think he's on the planet Earth any more. He's soaring among the stars, trying to find the star that was stolen from him. He disappears sometimes, with only a word to either of the girls and never one to me. I assume he heads off to the Space Center, but then again, his wounds are still raw. And there's more evidence to prove he hasn't been anywhere near the Space Center: my conversations with Solomon Starbuck. We've talked about Polly and Solomon tells me he hasn't seen Apollo since a certain angel was stolen.

I've asked Athena about the case that changed her life and Apollo's. Perhaps taking a stand against her, all the while channeling his old mentor's spirit, has done some pretty heavy damage. I was ready to comfort her if Athena had any wounds left from the trial, but just thinking about it had me running five laps around the office. 'I'll make Apollo give me fifty if he even thinks of bringing it up,' she yelled after me.

That took care of her end, but Apollo…

I hate myself for this, but I have no idea where he goes. Neither do my girls. Trucy asked him once. All she got was: "I just went out for a little walk."

Miles is even more distant than usual. You remember what happened to him during one December, right? Well, as it has failed to do with Apollo, time hasn't healed his wounds. He pretends to be the same old calm and composed Prosecutor, but he's just as distant as Polly. Both of them seem like nothing more than mirages, dreams we invented to fill voids in our hearts. Now those dreams are disappearing, and we're helpless. Nothing we can do to stop them.

So. As you know, Christmas did nothing to patch the holes in either of their hearts. Miles was too busy to spend any part of it with us, and Apollo? The most wonderful time of the year was like poison to him. He tried his hardest to conceal it, wanted us to believe he was fine, but I saw right through his fragile surface. Christmas was Mr. Terran's favorite time of year, and celebrating it without him just broke Apollo's heart all over again. Every damn day in December was nothing but a nightmare. Over and over again Trucy, Athena and I could do nothing but watch Apollo disappear, right before our very eyes. And no-he wasn't practicing my baby girl's Spectacular Disappearing Extravangaza.

With every thread of my being, I want nothing more than their happiness. I want them to smile again. Really, truly smile. I know I'm asking a lot, considering the damage that has been done, but I want my family back. I want Polly and Miles to come home. So do the girls.

Happy New Year, huh? Sorry for being such a huge bump on the log, Mia. Wish I had more New Year's cheer in me.


	2. Chapter 2

_January 5th, 9:20 am. Chief Prosecutor's Office._

Silence was gently shattered by a lone figure's entrance. The figure, cloaked in the day's oppressive cold temperature, walked into the head Prosecutor's world without a word-as he had done many times before. So the silence wasn't repelled by the office's owner. It was actually welcomed, like the first kiss of Spring after an unbearably harsh Winter. It was familiar, the thread of wordless tranquility between them. The thread was heavy from grief, but it was their only comfort. Their only refuge in a world that only grew colder as the days passed. The rest of the world was basking in the warmth of a new year, leaving them behind-with only the thread between them as comfort.

The second figure to enter the office put his coat on the rack, then took his usual seat. The Chief Prosecutor acknowledged him with a simple nod, which was promptly returned. He went back to reading the morning's newspaper, and his visitor booted up a game on his phone. Something Athena introduced him to a while back-The Pretty Pink Princess Candy Crush. A small part of him urged him to keep up with the times, but the drive to work with anything related to law had evaporated a while back. As much as he tried to keep up his strong front, Apollo Justice found it increasingly hard to keep playing Junior Attorney.

Pummeling away at a game with an absent mind was strangely therapeutic.

As the morning unfolded outside their window, they remained behind. Wandered through worlds of their choice, hoping to escape their grief but at the same time unable to do nothing but wander through it. Acknowledge it. They knew it had been a while since both of their hearts were broken, with Miles Edgeworth's trial being older than Apollo's, but both of them found great refuge in each other. It was a phenomenal form of medicine, being able to relate to someone in their darkest time, even though the rest of the world was leaving them.

Miles gently broke the silence after lowering his newspaper.

"Are we still on for tonight?"

Apollo looked up from his cell phone game and faced the Chief. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"I still cannot believe we're putting ourselves up to this," Miles chuckled. "Funny, the path life puts us on. Would you have imagined this happening , let's say, three years ago?"

The Junior Attorney gave a tiny chuckle. "No, but then again, I still had my guardian angel. So on that note, I'll take you back to what you just said; life works in mysterious ways."

"I will say this, though," the Prosecutor said softly. "I am happy to be taking this certain route with someone I can now call a friend."

Silence returned to the office for the rest of Apollo's visit. But in another office far, far away, a conversation was just beginning to bloom.

* * *

><p>"Is it true, Professor? Are we really going to the circus?"<p>

A young assistant's words were met with the warmest smile, and a sip of tea. "Of course we are, my dear boy. Can't possibly pass up the chance to dig into what promises to be an incredible adventure."

Professor Layton's assistant took a seat beside his friend, mentor and hero. "I wonder if that's also true," he said, voice distant, speaking not only to Layton but to himself as well. "Odd, how the ringmaster says he can grant wishes. Do you really think he can?"

The professor thought for a second, cup in the air, eyes closed. He then broke his silence, his gentle voice laden with not only curiosity, but anxiety.

"Despite everything we've seen, my boy, I cannot even begin to fathom the antics our ringmaster will bring into town. And a part of me fears them."


	3. Chapter 3

_January 5__th__, 11:30 am. The Wright Anything Agency's office._

_Captain's Log: There's no hope left. The ship's about to sink and my crew's running low on morale. There's no end in sight to this storm that has overtaken us. It is all we can do to cling to the last threads of hope._

_Sorry for being so silly, Chief, but I've always wanted to write something like that. Couldn't have picked a better time to do it, either. No one's lost at sea, thank goodness. But then again, it's as if Apollo's so far out at sea, nothing on Earth could ever hope to catch up with him. We're right here and it's impossible to catch him. With every second that passes, I feel as though things are becoming worse. Much worse. And there's nothing I can do. I know I'm in the corner like this every time I go to court, but this time takes the cake. Someone I adore and care for like a son is withering away, like paper against a flame. And the more time passes, the more hope of getting him back disappears._

_The same goes for Miles. I know there's always been distance between us; he's always busy in his own world, I'm busy in mine. Can't imagine a Chief Prosecutor getting too many breaks. But the same dread I'm feeling over Apollo is always battering me over Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth. No matter how hard I try to brush it off as part of Edgeworth's usual routine, there's a tiny voice in the back of my head telling me to not look away. To keep my eyes wide open, or else I'll lose both of them._

_Not something I'm looking forward to._

_You remember the circus I told you about, right? The Storyteller's Circus? The ringmaster, who nobly calls himself the Storyteller, says he can grant any wish that 'lingers inside the most broken heart'. We're all going to tonight-except for Polly. The girls and I want nothing more than Apollo to come with us. I thought it would be a pretty bang-up idea to have Miles come along, too. Sure he's not too big on magical ringmasters or even Spirit Mediums (no offense), but it would've been a nice change of pace. Something different to get his mind off of things. But just like Apollo, he turned the offer to come along down. Both of them, once again, are busy answering the mysteries of the universe. Miles hasn't been to one of my little girl's magic shows in I don't know how long. Keeping up with court cases, all the while juggling my failure to bring Miles and Polly back to shore-it's all keeping my brain in a fog._

_What should I do? Should I corner both of them? Should I sit them down and tell them to talk it out? Not doing anything is driving me crazy!_

_They're hurt. Miles' father got his wings long before Clay was given his, but time hasn't healed wounds for either Miles or Apollo. In my opinion, time's only making things worse._

_I don't know, Chief. The girls and I are still going to that circus. And maybe, just maybe, if we wish loud enough, we'll make wishes come true for Apollo and Miles. Something has to work._

_We can't lose people that are so precious to us._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Boss! What'cha doin' over there?"<p>

Athena, in all of her usual jubilant glory, leaned over the sofa. Phoenix, not expecting the young woman to show up at least for another hour, almost jumped a thousand feet off the ground. She had a pretty good knack for popping up out of nowhere. She had taken the world by storm, after all, in just a few short months. Maybe that was why some of her clients called her 'The Golden Juggernaut'. She was lethal in court and just as scary at night, whenever you wanted to sneak into the kitchen for a few snacks after midnight-and after a long night of movies a certain attorney never should've watched. At that moment, though, she was anything but a towering juggernaut. Warm and radiant, just like the sun itself, she peered into her friend's face with a smile. "Stop bein' such a stiff, old man," she urged, ruffling the senior attorney's hair.

"You should've known it was me! What father doesn't know his daughter's footsteps?!"

Even though he was carrying around a heart as heavy as iron, Phoenix couldn't help but smile. He closed the photo album he had been looking through, making the transition from the precious past into the bittersweet, uncharted present. Athena's energy was infectious, and definitely appreciated. She was just as worried about Apollo as Trucy and Phoenix were, but never kept a smile off the table. Concern was even directed at the Chief Prosecutor, once Phoenix made his discomfort over Miles' state of mind clear. She had her own problems, her own relationships and even a book of her own clients to deal with, but still managed to offer everyone around her a smile. "Excuse me, Thena," the veteran attorney sniffed at her, turning his nose up at her. "but you've only been my daughter for a few months. Have to cut me some slack, okay?"

She plopped herself down beside him, on the blue couch Larry bought for the office. "Whatever," she grumbled, folding her arms. Her cheeks were the puffy cheeks of an angry porcupine, but only for a moment. Silence wrapped itself around them for a pocket of time, filling their minds with memories. Smiles as distant and frail as the ebbing moon, whenever daybreak approached. "Mr. Kitaki says hi," Athena said gently, her words softly ushering in a new conversation.

"Paid him a visit today."

"Oh?" Phoenix asked, eyes widened. Athena had gone on another one of her rounds, visiting old clients, making sure they were all right in the wake of their cases. Mr. Kitaki was one of her recent clients, accused of murdering a janitor named Waxon McBrush. The trial got frizzy around the edges for a while, but the light at the end of the tunnel eventually spilled into the courtroom.

Athena invited Apollo to work on the case with her. The one she ended up taking was her mentor, the legendary Phoenix Wright, because once again, Apollo had to solve the mysteries of the universe. All by himself.

Phoenix, hoping for a shift in the atmosphere's tone, leaned towards her with a bright smile. "How is he? Well, I hope?"

Unfortunately, the look on Athena's face dashed all of those hopes in the drop of a gavel. "He's okay, I guess," she sighed, with Widget glowing a dark shade of blue. "Certainly happy about not being found guilty, but…"

The older attorney sat back with a sigh of defeat. "He's worried about Apollo."

"They all are," the young woman added, fingers tugging on her most prized possession. "Mr. Kitaki, Plum, Wocky…they've been worried about him ever since that case, and now…well, they haven't seen him in so long. Before certain things happened, he used to visit them a lot."

"He actually used to hang out with Wocky," Phoenix explained, hands covering his face in a show of sadness. Not even for a moment could a sliver of hope thrive. There surely was a curse hanging about the office, and over the attorney himself. "The two of them were pretty close friends. It was like they were classmates or something. They'd go to the arcade, to the fair…wasn't often, but it was enough. Now, it's like…Apollo's-"

Athena put a hand on her friend's knee. They said nothing for what must've been forever and a day, trying to find a way to put an end to silence. When no way could be found, she leaned so close to her friend their foreheads began to touch. With a look that said the world would soon come to an end if nothing was done, she gripped Phoenix's hands.

"I've been wondering-"

"Yeah?" her supervisor asked, cheeks doused in youthful shyness.

"You know how Polly and your would-be boyfriend are always 'busy'?"

"Yeah," Phoenix replied, uncomfortable with where the conversation was flowing. Or, better put, uncomfortable with being unable to see where the conversation was flowing. From the looks of things, the conversation promised to cast him off a cliff.

"Boss, Trucy's still at school, right?"

Out came the third 'yeah', even more anxious than the last.

"Brace yourself, then. I think-"

"Yeah?"

"I think Polly and Chief Edgeworth are having an affair!"

Phoenix almost stumbled off the sofa. "Wha-wait a minute! First of all, how can they have an affair if none of us are married?! I object to this line of testimony, Miss Cykes!"

Arms folded, having gone from serious to triumphant, Athena beamed at him. "But you can't deny the possibility, Mr. Wright. I may very well be onto something!"

Her boss' eyes were a second away from falling out of their sockets. "What, you think they're-"

Athena poked the end of his nose. "Would make perfect sense, wouldn't it? Look at the evidence. Apollo visited Chief Edgeworth a few times for a few games of chess. He hasn't told us where he's been since, but he disappears a lot. So does the Chief. They can't come right out and tell us anything because Apollo has feelings for Klavier and YOU have feelings for the Chief! So what do they do? They keep their budding love a secret! They hide in the shadows and celebrate their passionate love through chess and-wait, stop laughing at me!"

Phoenix fell off the sofa in laughter, arms wrapped about his waist in a show of sheer helplessness. He surrendered to the laughter that overtook his body for a joyous, bone-crushing pocket of time, leaving behind a universe of worries. Athena felt as though her testimony was being laughed underneath a rug, but one of her warmest smiles came in the wake of frustration. Her friend was laughing-something he hadn't done in what must've been forever.

'I'd keep the joke going if I knew how.'

"The way your mind works," Phoenix said through billowing laughter, scrambling back onto the blue sofa. "Seriously, Apollo and Miles? Having an affair?"

"You said they can't have an affair. No one's married, remember?"

"Whatever, you know what I mean," the veteran attorney chuckled, wiping at his watery eyes. A few more chuckles popped out of his mouth, then he bowed his head, suddenly feeling fifty years older. "If only it was that easy," he murmured, not only to Athena but to himself as well. Not at all comfortable with the sudden storm of sadness in her friend's eyes, Athena gripped his hand. She wasn't the least bit playful with the words that came out of her mouth.

"What if it is? What if that's all it is?"

"I wish it were, but…it's…Thena, it isn't as black and white as we want it to be. I'd run through the streets naked while singing the Steel Samurai theme song if they were just dating. Klavier would be in for some pretty intense news as soon as he'd come home from Berlin, but I'd wish them all the best. I don't think they're dating, though."

"What makes you so sure?" Athena asked, both kind and stern, giving his hand another rough squeeze. He sighed, running a hand over his face once again. "Instinct," he said, breathless from the truth he wanted so badly to hide. He peered out of the window as he finished his response, hand rubbing his chin in a show of fierce thought.

"The way I've been feeling for the last couple of days. My dreams. It's like…the whole world's telling me it's much more than those two dating. There's something I'm missing, Thena, pieces to the puzzle I can't find. Locks I can't undo. And if I don't undo them in time-"

"Wait," the young woman gasped. "Locks. Speaking of locks-"

Phoenix suddenly felt as though he were in an iron-clad grip, stuck in a cobra's mouth. A newfound appreciation for innocent defendants on trial was unlocked. "Can't be done. For either one of them. Breaking one Black Psyche Lock is enough bad news. Breaking all of theirs-Athena, we'd definitely lose both of them. They're as fragile as ice."

"I take it you're referring to Polly, the Chief and their locks," Juniper's best friend said softly, rubbing at her chin. "How many Black Psyche Locks are we talking about, here?"

Phoenix had the voice of an explorer unlocking ancient curses once buried in darkness. "Too many," he replied, mind momentarily scanning three faces-Apollo's, Miles' and Kristoph Gavin's. Athena wasn't part of the pack because she emerged from her darkness like a launched missile. She made a full-time job out of being that same launched missile, putting in even more hours because of an attorney and a Chief Prosecutor that were possibly, hopefully, dating.

Would be much, much easier to deal with them dating.

"Both of them make a job out of hiding themselves," Phoenix chuckled weakly. "Letting themselves be seen would pretty much be a crime punishable by death. Prying them out of their shelves would be painful. Dangerous. They'd probably think it would be a fate worse than death, having all of their wounds out in the open."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "…and you still don't think they're dating? Hello! They're pretty much two peas in a friggin' pod, here! Throw me a bone already, Mr. Wright!"

They shared a much-needed round of laughter-one that was sadly far too short. The senior attorney then rose to his feet, face half-way between sorrow and relief. "I'd take your version of the truth any day, Thena," he told the young woman, inwardly praising the forces that brought Athena into his life. In a time that made him feel as if he were in the middle of a snowstorm, without even a jacket, she and her radiant strength were definitely welcome. "I need a drink," he announced, and instantly got a few giggles out of his friend.

"But before I go, would you like anything from the kitchen?"

"No thanks," Athena said softly, flashing her victory sign. "Thanks to the Kitakis, I got some grub before I made my way back here."

Phoenix's eyes became alive with fondness, memories, warmth. "Athena…are you sure you're-"

Athena's eyes were harder than steel, and colder than the moon. "If you finish that sentence, I'll kill you. And you know I can."

Chuckling, the veteran attorney strolled off into the office kitchen. He knew Athena's policy: mention a certain case and pay for it. Apollo was the first to be banned from mentioning it, then the young woman went down the rest of the agency's roster, wanting not a single member of her family to mention Apollo's accusations. Least of all Apollo. When Phoenix first asked her about her feelings in the wake of said trial, he was ready and willing to comfort her-but Athena was instantly fierce, telling him Apollo acted the way he did out of hurt. Confusion. Of suddenly being deprived of someone that had been his driving force, his purpose, and possibly a powerful love. So not a single soul was allowed to bring up charges against Apollo, despite how innocent intentions were. Phoenix, happy and thoroughly relieved by his family not being torn apart, accepted Athena's new law.

'Without her, I don't know where I'd be.'

The moment he entered the office fridge, a voice cut through thoughts linked to the past, and an unbearably cloudy future. He stiffened and shut the door, cut off from the rest of the world. Cold, confused, wondering. An inch in front of the fridge, frozen.

_His story's about to begin. You feel it. You know it just as well as I do._

Something was wrong. Definitely wrong. Was it his inner voice? Maya possibly channeling him from the Kurain School? Or had he finally gone insane? Delirious from worrying so much?

_There's another story that will begin, alongside his. Another story that will soon take flight. And there won't be anything you can do to stop it. But you can change it. You can change both stories._

"Boss?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Phoenix answered a concerned, confused Athena, breathless, thrown back into the present.

'I really am worrying myself into an early grave, Mia.'


	4. Chapter 4

_(Author's Note: Please pardon me. I have very little experience writing with Professor Layton characters. If they're OOC, forgive me! I hope it does nothing to ruin the experience.)_

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><p><em>January 5<em>_th__, 6:20 pm. London. Desmond Sycamore's Office._

The night and its many secrets flooded the nooks and crannies of a humble refuge, one that housed ancient knowledge. A tea kettle made its impatience known as the moon continued to shine, its light nestled comfortably inside the tiny abode. Scrolls and books alike sat in a sanctuary that encouraged guests to step deeper, like a warm woman inviting guests to taste baked goods. The scent of tea, flowers and ancient pages mingled, creating a lush symphony that complemented London's evening. And it was into that refuge a professor and his assistant stepped, hearts wondering about the future. Eagerly awaiting an adventure that was just around the bend.

The inseparable pair hadn't begun their day in Professor Sycamore's office. Their hours had been spent travelling through the past, all the while wondering about the uncharted future. They were well on their way to the Storyteller's Circus-an adventure that definitely promised to be memorable. Never before had the Storyteller's Circus arrived in London, so with its first arrival came plenty of questions. Inquiries that tugged on the back of Hershel Layton's mind. They tugged on Luke as well, but he was no different from a child with Christmas right around the corner. "A Storyteller that makes wishes come true, Professor," his assistant sang, as giddy as a child that had just been promised a world of toys. "Just think of it! People having their dearest wishes granted! Oh, how much happier the world's going to be once the circus comes to town!"

As much as the revered professor wanted to agree, something in the back of his mind prevented him from doing so. Hershel merely nodded and chuckled; a sure sign of agreement. But as soon as his friend looked away, the scholar could not help rubbing his chin in aggravation. A Storyteller that promised a world of wishes? Even with everything he had seen, how could that even be remotely true? And if someone truly did have that kind of power-

As much he wanted to believe in the night's magic, Hershel found himself shaking his head often. Which was how they ended up in an old friend's office. Far too many questions, and not a single answer? Definitely didn't sit well with the professor that had a knack for solving the hardest puzzles. In the blink of an eye. So what did Sycamore have to say about the Storyteller's Circus?

"Well, he isn't pulling the wool over your eyes! The truth's being told, all right-the Storyteller can grant any wish!"

Luke gasped, but before he could speak with eyes as wide as the moon, their friend chuckled. A warm, gentle sound that reminded Hershel of water dancing over pebbles. "According to the myth, that is," the other professor said, taking a seat across from Hershel and his assistant.

Hershel had a knack for rubbing his chin whenever a mystery nagged him. "A myth, you say? A tale that has definitely evaded me in my travels."

"Have no fear," Sycamore beamed. As rain began to dance across the streets of an outside world, the radiant professor began a tale that would bring both friends into the light. "For I have no plight against filling you in. The Storyteller is a legend, one known mostly to children. The myth claims he is made of stars, promises and dreams."

"That sounds absolutely amazing," a breathless, wide-eyed Luke exclaimed, his eyes an inch away from falling out of their sockets. Sycamore chuckled, a sound very much like breezes brushing through wind chimes. "It is," the younger scholar said, his eyes twinkling with magic the night held. "It is nothing short of amazing, young Luke," Hershel's friend declared proudly. Hershel all the while eyed his friend intently. There had to be more to the tale. It surely wasn't as simple as a circus conductor granting wishes. Was it ever?

"However, I do believe there are a few things that must be brought to light."

"Of course," Luke's mentor nodded, all the while accepting a cup of tea from Sycamore. His eyes were made of curious steel, flashing like the inquisitive eyes of a child. All three of them were nestled comfortably inside the sanctuary, while the night continued to blossom. And from a position, Hershel saw fit to eagerly pursue answers.

"You believe there is some truth to these myths. Am I wrong?"

Even more of the other scholar's laughter pierced the air. "Was that a trick question, old friend? Or a joke? I never knew you to be one for jokes!"

Luke eyed both of them, a thirst for knowledge flowing through him like lightning. With a cup of tea firmly planted between his palms, he joined Hershel in his pursuit of answers. "You believe the Storyteller can grant wishes, Professor Sycamore?" Layton's assistant asked breathlessly. "There's actually some truth to the stories?"

The other scholar's eyes suddenly darkened, with the fire that scorched the night. "I am unaware of the truth."

"But you sense it otherwise."

"All I can be certain of is this," Sycamore went on in the wake of Hershel's counterattack. "The stories tell of wishes that have been granted, but with disastrous results. The wishes were buried inside hearts strewn upon the ground, glittering without hope and only with despair. The deepest, coldest darkness had penetrated those visiting the Storyteller, and as a result, they gave him their saddened souls. They trusted him with every fiber of their being, only-"

"To have chaos break out, in the worst forms imaginable."

Sycamore sat back in his seat. "You have a dazzling knack for finishing my thoughts, Layton. The Storyteller wasn't merely a genie. He was, what you could call, a conductor. Someone that saw fit to play with the emotions of others, and used them to create symphonies he wanted. He granted their wishes, all right, but they weren't granted without consequences."

"Why does such a circus even exist? I was certain such an embodiment of life and energy was made solely for the happiness of others."

Luke watched and listened as though he were at a ping pong match. Sycamore returned Hershel's serve, with an expression that hovered between light and darkness. "He comes in under the guise of light, but is truly dressed in the light of darkness. That's how the myth speaks of him-someone that takes clear advantage of broken spirits. For pleasure."

"Wait a minute-Professor," the little assistant cried out, holding up a hand. He tugged on Hershel's sleeve as though it were a life-saving device, preventing him from floating out to sea. "I remember now! The advertisements for the circus-they say the Storyteller's going to grant the wishes of the most broken hearts! I thought he was going to have a vast cloud of visitors, but here's what I was able to gather from the advertisements. He already knows what wishes he means to grant!"

Hershel went to work rubbing his chin, setting down the cup of tea with his free hand. "Even more broken souls seeking refuge, in someone that holds a world of promises. I wonder-if there really is no truth to be found in the myth, then why-"

At that very moment, fireworks burst into the air like missiles.

All three of them scrambled to the window, instantly greeted to a sky painted by a world of color. A cloud of thought prevented them from speaking, flooding each of their heads with the incomprehensible. Hershel was the one to break the tense silence between them.

"So it begins."


	5. Chapter 5

_January 5__th__, 6:20 pm. The Wright Anything Agency's office._

* * *

><p>Phoenix Wright spent the day with his head in the clouds.<p>

Normally, that would've fallen on the 'old news' list, but worry burned the pit of his stomach much more than it usually did. His head was cluttered with wordless thoughts, all of them centered on a certain dynamic duo, while the world around him continued to move. He stood still in the present, helpless as time moved in what promised to be a back-breaking turnabout. The day remained dark, still and frightening despite the smiles that lit it up like fireworks, coming from Trucy and Athena.

Athena was her usual self-a firecracker disguised as a brave young woman. Her head no different from Nick's, filled with worry over someone that had mentally fallen off the face of the Earth, but she never wanted to clock out of her full-time position. Not only was she the agency's newest attorney, but the family anchor. The pillar of strength that made sure light never went out. Every one of her waking moments was devoted to her family and the agency. It seemed as if nothing could stop her from glowing, but not even the human embodiment of light and vigor could stop a cloud of worry.

Trucy came home from another day of school, having made another round of doting friends with new magic tricks. But the second she stepped off of school grounds, her mind returned to its original state; a state of worry. Over someone she was deathly afraid of losing: Apollo. The junior attorney that had disappeared somewhere along the line. She failed at keeping him home, and was failing at keeping him anywhere at all. Sure, Polly still helped with homework and watched her work her magic, but there was far too much life, far too much light, missing. So the second school ended, a certain pointy-haired attorney rushed back into her mind, as if he hadn't seen her in decades. Apollo didn't even make his rounds to the agency that day. For him, there would be no circus, and he couldn't even pull out a pocket of time for Trucy's homework. Why?

"Sorry, guys, but there's something I've got to take care of. I'll see you all soon, okay?"

Apollo's lone wolf investigation pummeled their minds, torn from the past and cemented into the present. They all remembered how distant he was, how cold and lonely their world became, because a certain star angel had gotten his wings far too early.

So Phoenix Wright's, Athena Cykes' and Trucy Wright's heads were all in the clouds.

The advent of night should've brought their heads out of the clouds and into carefree skies glistening with starlight. The skies outside were alive with a myriad of colors, as the Storyteller's Circus had just begun. Excitement compelled the three of them to finish up the day's work as quickly as they could, so they could set foot in a world of magic, but in the backs of their minds stood Apollo. Someone they hadn't seen all day, because once again, the mysteries of the universe needed to be answered and someone had to answer them.

Phoenix wanted Athena's testimony about an affair between Apollo and Edgeworth to be true. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it to be true. The more a certain voice rang in his ears, he wanted that testimony to be true. After all, calling Edgeworth produced even more evidence to support Athena's claims. The Chief Prosecutor either didn't answer, or answered with detailed responses like the following:

"I do apologize, Wright, but I'm afraid I can't talk long."

If his protégé and lifelong crush were dating, so be it. He'd deal with it. No-he'd embrace it. Bless it, shower it in rice and sweep it into the stars. Klavier would be pretty ruffled, once he'd come from a vacation in Berlin, but Phoenix and the girls would soothe his wounds. Sure, things would get pretty awkward around the holidays, but things would work themselves out, right?

But something in the back of his mind forced him away from everything he wanted.

'Hopefully, just hopefully, the girls and I will be able to find some solace tonight. Maybe this circus will be just what we need. What we ALL need.'

"Daddy, are you almost done?! We're all ready to gooooo! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

Phoenix beamed at his littlest girl, the magician tugging on his sleeve. "C'mon, Daddy," she whimpered, tugging as hard as she could. "The Storyteller says he's only going to grant the wishes inside the most broken hearts so what if he only wants to talk to five people or four people or even worse! Two people?!"

Chuckling, the lead attorney put case files into their manila folder. He had spent the last few hours going over recent case documents, not just to review but in an attempt to take his mind off of two things: a certain junior attorney and a certain voice. Something, someone that just wouldn't leave him alone. Had he been sleepwalking, maybe? Too much stress, maybe?

_Mia, you always said I was a scatter-brained oaf. In the most loving way, and I loved you for it. Just as I loved you for everything else._

He rose to his feet, pushed in his chair and patted the top of his daughter's hat. "All right, all right, darling. I'm done. We're going."

"Well, we better be," his older daughter snarled playfully, hands on her hips, Widget flashing a bright shade of red. She stood ready, firm, feet planted at the door. "You know we've got to get wishes granted for Apollo and the Chief Prosecutor!"

"If only they were wedding blessings," Phoenix muttered bitterly, halfway between warmth and sadness. He took Trucy by the hand and walked towards the agency office's exit, eyes storming through the thoughts plaguing his mind. Hope flooded the picture as soon as he and his family stepped outside. Perhaps the Storyteller's Circus would be everything they needed. Maybe, after that night-

Things will be better. Much better.

"We should've been there an hour ago," Athena grumbled, shoulders slumped in a show of defeat. "What if we have to stand in a line that's long enough to wrap around the country?"

"You two really think the Storyteller can grant wishes?" Phoenix asked both of his girls, giving a fierce squeeze to Trucy's hand. She peered at him through eager eyes made of Spring magic. Athena, voice made of breezes, hope and light, gave an answer.

"Sometimes, all we can do is believe. We have to believe, Boss! For their sake! If it's worth a go, we're going to give it a go! Now come on-the Storyteller awaits! Heave ho, kids!"

Hope bubbled up inside all three, leading them closer to a world of starlight and energy. But the moment Phoenix took another step, their walk ended. A fierce gale of light, borne of the coldest darkness, almost knocked them off their feet.

Phoenix latched onto Trucy and Athena instinctively. Where the gale came from, he did not know. Neither did the two young women. The gale and its light refused to permit thought, though. The light and its frost pierced them like cattle prods, seizing the breath from their lungs. "What in the hell is going on?!" Athena roared above the fervor, peering into Phoenix's eyes. Helplessness seared him, as he was unable to give an answer.

Someone else arrived to give one, though.

The light and its gale disappeared, leaving a figure made of shadows in its wake. Trucy bristled, stepped away from her family and unsheathed her magic cane. Before either of the others could make even the slightest move, the figure spoke-in a voice Phoenix instantly recognized.

Fireworks lit up the world as it spoke.

"_It's time."_

"Time?!" Phoenix cried out, grabbing onto both young women once again, bringing them close. Trucy gave him a fretful look, Athena balled her hands into fists-

"Time for what?! Who are you?!"

"_You know of what I speak. The stories-they are about to begin. And it is in those stories you will be lost."_

"What's going on here?! What stories?!"

The figure made of night laughed, a light, breezy sound. _"Their stories. Stories that have already stopped here. Stories that will begin anew shortly."_

Athena stepped forward, her face ashen. "Wait a minute, you aren't talking about-"

Another burst of light seared their lungs and the sky, ripping through them as if they weren't made of anything but paper. Once the light vanished-

It left behind nothing but silence.


End file.
